


5 Times People Thought Noct Had an Imaginary Friend

by nickofhearts



Series: The Adventures of Prince Noctis and Funny Hat Man [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Imperial Chancellor Bad Touch, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-15 03:28:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9216608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nickofhearts/pseuds/nickofhearts
Summary: +1 Time They Realized He Wasn't So Imaginary





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dreamingcicadas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamingcicadas/gifts), [whitewingedcrow](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=whitewingedcrow).



> Everyone needs to go and check out this amazing art by the inimitable lanternbunnies [here](http://lanternbunnies.tumblr.com/post/155599879268/this-piece-is-dedicated-to-5-times-people). Look at how _happy_ Noct is! And err, how grumpily tolerant-and-wishing-murder Ardyn is...!

**1\. Regis**

"Dad," Noct told him solemly while Regis was tucking him in. "There's a man in a funny hat who lives under my bed."

Regis smiled, patting his son on the head. "That's nice, Noct."

"He's two _thousand_ years old, and he makes these faces like—" Noct scrunched up his own face in a rough approximation and uttered a low growling sound "—and he tells really good stories!"

There was a slight pause as Noct realized who he was gushing to, then he looked up at Regis guiltily. "Though not as good as yours, dad."

Noct was getting a little old for imaginary friends, but being the Crown Prince was a lonely station. There weren't any other children in the palace that were his age for Noct to play with, and Regis didn't have enough time in the day to spend more than a few moments with his son. If this imaginary friend made Noct happy, then Regis would gladly indulge him in the fantasy.

 

**2\. Nyx**

Something small and dark blurred past him in stuttery little jolts, looking suspiciously like a prince who had just learned how to warp and hadn't quite gotten the technique down yet. Nyx warped ahead and grabbed him the next time he materialized, holding him up by the collar. "Prince Noctis," he said, putting on a mock stern face. "Please refrain from warping in the halls."

"Nyx!" Noct giggled, batting at his arm to get Nyx to put him back down.

Nyx set the prince down gently, slightly alarmed when Noct immediately ran behind his legs, peeking out carefully as if looking for someone. "What's the hurry?"

"Shhh," Noct whispered. "I'm playing hide and seek with Funny Hat Man."

Nyx raised an eyebrow. Right, the King had mentioned that Noct had recently formed an attachment to an imaginary friend, and that they were all to play along for the time being.

"Alright," Nyx said, lifting Noct onto his shoulders. "Do you need help finding a good hiding spot?"

"Yeah!" Noct cheered as Nyx warped them through the halls, alternating between directing him behind a column when he thought Funny Hat Man was closing in, or urging Nyx to a higher vantage point so he could scope out the terrain, and it was nearing sundown by the time the prince was ready to call it quits.

"Thanks Nyx!" Noct said, hugging him around the neck. "That's the first time I've won."

Nyx smiled back, slightly puzzled. He hadn't caught sight of any men in funny hats the entire time, but he supposed that was only to be expected. It wasn't _his_ imaginary friend they'd been hiding from.

 

**3\. Cor**

Cor was just exiting the Regalia when a dark bundle ran into his knees. Noctis was somewhat...ungraceful, at the best of times, but he didn't usually barrel into people. "Is something the matter, Prince Noctis?" 

Noctis looked up with a pout. "Funny Hat Man's mad at me." 

Cor frowned. Was this Noctis' imaginary friend? He was a skilled tactician and advisor to the King, but this was slightly out of his purview. "Is there a reason he's mad at you?" 

Noctis stomped his foot with all the righteous fury of any wronged party. "It wasn't my fault! There was a pretty birdie on the window, and I just wanted a closer look." He shrugged. "I knew Funny Hat Man wouldn't let anything bad happen to me. But he says he's not going to catch me anymore when I fall out of windows."

Cor was surprised at the breadth of Noctis' imagination. He hadn't heard of any incidents of the prince almost falling out to his death, so it must have been a make-believe game they had been playing. Still, Noctis' imaginary friend was more pragmatic than most. If he was keeping Noctis out of trouble, Cor didn't see any harm in it.

He kneeled so that he was the at the same height as the young prince. "I'm sure he was just worried about you, Noctis. As would I be if I saw you were about to fall out of a window."

Noctis frowned, considering, then nodded. "I'll try to be more careful."

Crises averted, Noctis let Cor take his hand and lead him back inside the palace. 

 

**4\. Anna**

Anna was cleaning the young prince's rooms when she found the hat. It was upturned on the floor as if it had been knocked off someone's head, or possibly left behind in a hurry. She was just about to pick it up and return it to the coat room for them to claim when Prince Noctis burst into the room, looking wildly around.

"That's Funny Hat Man's!" Noctis shouted, scooping up the hat and holding it to his chest protectively. 

"I apologize, Prince Noctis." Anna said, bowing. "I was only going to—"

"I'll keep it for him!" Noctis declared, giving her a suspicious look like she'd been planning to abscond with the hat herself. Really! 

Anna resumed her dusting, leaving the prince to himself. She coughed to hide a laugh when she saw him trying the hat on only for it to slip down and cover half his face. It was moments like these that reminded her how young the prince was still, and oh, he really must be lonely to have such a strong attachment to an imaginary friend.

The hat must've been what had inspired it in the first place. Still, what a strange item.

She wondered if it had been accidentally left behind by a visiting dignitary and found by Prince Noctis later. They certainly didn't have any hats like _that_ in Lucis. 

 

**5\. Gladiolus**

Noctis was late for training again. Gladio didn't know why he was surprised, when the prince found any excuse to get out of anything requiring the least amount of effort, and only put in the barest amount when he did manage to show up.

Gladio sighed, and went looking for him in the usual places.

This time though, he found Noctis outside in the gardens, swinging a wooden sword around. They weren't the forms that Gladio had taught him, but they did, strangely, look like sword training exercises.

"Prince Noctis," Gladio started, only to be interrupted.

"I don't need to train with you," Noctis said, not pausing in his swings. "Funny Hat Man said he'll teach me everything I need to know. He uses swords like my father too."

Gladio was at a loss. Noctis wanted to learn _sword-fighting_ from his imaginary friend? His imaginary friend who apparently had an Armiger like the King? This was getting out of hand. Gladio would have to speak with his majesty about dissuading Noctis of his flights of fancy. 

But then...who had Noctis learned the swings he was practicing now from?

  


**+1.**

Imperial Chancellor Ardyn Izunia was in the throne room making a speech on intercontinental cooperation, but what everyone knew he was actually saying was that the Empire was merely biding its time before crushing Lucis like a bug, as soon as Regis couldn't hold the wall up anymore, or the Empire manufactured a way to break through it, whichever came first. 

There was a commotion at the door when the guards tried to keep someone out, but they were ultimately unsuccessful as a small black blur dashed in, nearly bouncing with excitement.

Everyone could only stare in horror as young Prince Noctis ran straight up to the Imperial Chancellor, brandishing...a hat?

"I found your hat!" Noctis said, holding his arms up for a hug.

"Noct," Ardyn responded with an expression of endless patience that had been tried to its very limit. " _I'm going to kill you_."


End file.
